ICSA Open Team Racing National Championship

It was a challenging day for wind on the Charles River Basin today. A NNW gradient batted a SE seabreeze with shots of W, SW, N, NE and SE until the seabreeze won out around 4:30pm. 30 races were sailed with the last race completed around 8pm.

A huge number of people contributed to make this event happen. Chief Umpire Doc Sullivan led a great team of umpires including: Franny Charles, John Pratt, Trevor Long, Miranda Bakos, Rick Myers, Kyle Welch, Ward Cromwell, Nick Cromwell, Matt Hooks.

Races were run by PRO Kyle Assad with help on the committee boat from Chris Love, Harvard’s Mike O’Connor moving marks, and Matt Lindblad and MIT undergrad Karen Liberman on the finish boat. MIT alumnus Ken Legg drove the media boat with social media coordinator Hannah Lee Knoll and photographer Dave Curtis.

On shore, MIT Sailing staff Stew Craig and Dan Tucker managed breakdowns and rotations. Hannah Agate did a great job managing shoreside logistics in front of the building. MIT Senior Associate Director of Athletics Aaron Aaker ran a parking shuttle and MIT Athletics supplied several student workers to help manage event operations tasks, custodial services throughout the day, as well as other aspects of support like credentials.

A big thanks to college sailing’s sponsors including West Coast Sailing (Zim), Dermatone, Marlow, Quantum, and US Sailing.

Our hope is to complete the round of 16 tomorrow and move on to the final 8 and then final 4.

-Matt Lindblad-Cucchiaro Family Director of Sailing, MIT Sailing

Today was exactly what we needed. Cool temps and lots of sunshine helped keep a ESE in place from the start of racing at 10:30 to the end of the day at 7:00 WInd Strength was 5-15 knots with frequent small shifts and puffs which allowed us to crank out 102 races and complete the 16 team round robin, run 3 tiebreak sail-off races, and sail the first three flights of the final 8.

PRO Kyle Assad and the RC team set a grueling pace to run 102 races with each close to the target length of 10 minutes. The umpire team held strong and the shore team kept on top of minor breakdowns and damage.

ICSA rep and college sailing president Greg Wilkinson did a huge amount of work to manage a ton of large and small regatta details and relay information as well as techscore and other tasks. He was the oil that kept the machine running all day today as well as yesterday.

Returning umpires for day 2 were chief umpire Doc Sullivan, Franny Charles, John Pratt, Trevor Long, Miranda Bakos, Rick Myers, Kyle Welch, Ward Cromwell, Nick Cromwell, Matt Hooks. Joining the team today were Tom Duggan, Bob Austin LaFrance, Hannah Steadman, Zack Shapiro, Gabby Rizika, John Tagliamonte and Tim Wadlow.

The RC was led by PRO Kyle Assad, with help on finish boat from Mike Kanare. Matt Lindblad and Karen Liberman did scoring and Mike O’Connnor moved marks and kept the course clear from errant sailboats.

MIT Alum Grace Mao drove the photo boat with social media coordinator Hannah Lee Knoll and photographer Dave Curtis. Jane O’Connor drove the ESPN+ livestream camera boat.

On shore, MIT Sailing staff Stew Craig and Dan Tucker managed breakdowns and rotations. Hannah Agate did a great job managing shoreside logistics in front of the building with a team of volunteers and MIT student workers.

A big thanks to college sailing’s sponsors including West Coast Sailing (Zim), Dermatone, Marlow, Quantum, and US Sailing.

Goal is to complete the round of 8 and do a finial 4 tomorrow.

Once the final 4 begins, spectators will be welcome to join us on the roof of the Sailing Pavilion to cheer on the teams and stay for the award ceremony following racing.

-Matt Lindblad - Cucchiaro Family Director of Sailing, MIT Sailing

The final day of the College Sailing Open Team Racing Championships brought another sunny day on the Charles with warmer air temps in the 50’s and low 60’s. RC made an attempt to run races in the dying westerly but ultimately the seabreeze filled at around 1:30 and allowed us to complete the final 8 round robin. The Final 8 was finished at 4:35 leaving no time for the final 4 and the Roger Wiliam's University Hawks celebrated on the water

A breakdown was filed in the Brown-Roger Williams race from the final 8 but not granted. The hearing was re-opened and ultimately the decision held, securing the win for the RWU Hawks. . Harvard finished second and Yale finished third.

Awards were held at around 6:30pm and the Hawks were presented with the Walter C. Wood Trophy, fittingly named after MIT's first sailing master and one of the early organizers of college racing along with Leonard Fowle.

A huge number of people contributed to make this event happen: Harvard head coach Mike O’Connor help plan every aspect of this event. The RC was led by PRO Kyle Assad, with help from Mike Kanare and Chris Love. Karen Liberman, Oaklin Keefe, Lucas Escandon, Julius Heitkoetter, Mike O’Connnor and Matt Lindblad.

Chief Umpire Doc Sullivan led a great team of umpires including: Franny Charles, John Pratt, Trevor Long, Miranda Bakos, Rick Myers, Kyle Welch, Ward Cromwell, Nick Cromwell, Matt Hooks, Tom Duggan, Bob Austin LaFrance, Hannah Steadman, Zack Shapiro, Gabby Rizika, John Tagliamonte, KB Knapp, and Tim Wadlow.

Shoreside support: Amazing work by MIT Sailing staff Stew Craig, Dan Tucker, and Hannah Agate assisted by MIT coaches Mike Kalin and Caroline Young and Harvard's Bern Noack. MIT athletics student workers, and Ali Keenan.

ICSA rep and college sailing president Greg Wilkinson did a huge amount of work to manage a ton of regatta details during the event as well as during the months of planning. Also thanks to ICSA exec director Reed Multbie and ICSA communications committee Cori Radke and Ali Blumenthal.

Thank you to Harvard's livestream team including Dillon Wall, Olivia Cooke, on air talent Adam Giardino Clay Johnson and Gloria kevlicuite and entire film crew. MIT Alums Grace Mao and Ken Legg drove the photo boat with social media coordinator Hannah Lee Knoll and photographer Dave Curtis. Jane O’Connor, and Bob Adam drove the ESPN+ livestream camera boat. Thanks to Harvard and mit parents who helped coordinate the shirts and spectator experience, Diane and John Schmelz and Elissa and Paul Callahan.

ABM Custodial Staff pulled off a huge effort to keep the place in good working order and MIT parking office for their help.

Thanks to MIT and Harvard administrators who helped at every step of the way: MIT athletics senior associate director of athletics Aaron Aaker, Director of Facilities Dan Martin, Director of Athletics Dr. G. Anthony Grant and Harvard senior associate Director of Athletics and SWA Gerrie Mahoney.

A big thanks to college sailing’s sponsors including West Coast Sailing (Zim), Dermatone, Marlow, Quantum, and US Sailing.

-Matt Lindblad, Cucchiaro Family Director of Sailing-MIT